***Epcot Food And Wine Festival Info 2008***

[webray]

but do you think they will serve some Cajun Dirty Rice at the Louisiana kiosk?
the real stuff with chicken gizzards?

Ooooh, that would be so good.

 

[cdtommie]

Oh, we are huge fans of the Dogfishhead 120, lol, but it is nothing like Utopias, not even in the same class. Dogfishhead 120 is an over the top IPA..hoppy.
Utopias is a beer equivalent of a kognac...totally outstanding.

If you age the 120 it will lose much of it's hoppy characteristics over time and the sweetness much like what is present in Utopias will dominate.

 

[cdtommie]

I've had (and enjoyed) them both, but for me the perfect balance of price, taste and hops is Bell's Two Hearted Ale. Outstanding stuff, and Bell's is one of the best all-around microbreweries in the country, IMHO.

I've heard great things about Bell's - it's a shame they don't distribute in NY or CT. Wouldn't it be something if these great breweries were given a chance to appear at F&W...oh well. I did notice Rogue is at one of the cheese tastings.

 

[ghidorah97]

I'm loving all the beer talk! I know that in the past there has been a beer booth during the Fest, but IIRC it was mostly mass-produced suds. Wouldn't it be great if they did a Microbrews booth?

I know I'd be back for seconds, thirds, fourths....

I'll have to track down some of the bottles previously posted as I haven't tried any of them yet. cdtommie -- any recommendations on a store in CT with a wide selection of unique/unusual/high-quality beers?

Brad

 

[daisy112878]

Dh and I just booked a trip from Oct 30-Nov 3rd. It's for my 30th bday and going to Jacksonville for the UGA vs UF game.

I just realized the special V&A dinner is that Sunday Nov. 2nd. Does anyone have any personal experience with this dinner? I'm trying to talk dh into it.

 

[jcvalenti]

Cool, where is Bell's located. Would love to look for it.

It's in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Their website has a link to where you can find their beers. I can't post a link, but it's bellsbeer dot com. They are pretty easy to find all around the Great Lakes area, and along the I-75 corridor from Detroit to Miami.

If they don't ship to your state (and they may not, because their 'distribution network' is a bit back-asswards), check out the forums on ratebeer.com - there are plenty of beer freaks on there who will do "buy and swaps", where you buy a local microbrew and send it to them, and they will do the same for you.

It's very much worth the effort. If you like hoppy brews, it's a perfect fall beer. I've had a ton of them (Alpha King, 3 Floyd's, Dogfish Head, Rogue, etc etc) and Two Hearted is still my favorite beer.

 

[jcvalenti]

I've heard great things about Bell's - it's a shame they don't distribute in NY or CT. Wouldn't it be something if these great breweries were given a chance to appear at F&W...oh well. I did notice Rogue is at one of the cheese tastings.

See my post above. If you want to try Bells, you can pick it up in Florida on your next trip down to the mouse house .... if you're a beer fan, it's worth the effort to find it.

 

[jcvalenti]

No exactly a Food & Wine topic, but since most everyone here is a wine fan ... does anyone know if there is a link online to the California Grill's wine list ? I've never gone there before, but we've got reservations for this fall ... I'd like to check out their list before we get there to see what I might be up for that night.

So far, all I can find is the sketchy dinner menu on allearsnet , and that only lists a couple 'by the glass' wines.

 

[webray]

I've heard great things about Bell's - it's a shame they don't distribute in NY or CT. Wouldn't it be something if these great breweries were given a chance to appear at F&W...oh well. I did notice Rogue is at one of the cheese tastings.

I have emailed and emailed disney regarding bringing in the microbrews and belgians for food and wine fest. There are so many wonderful beers all around the world, coul you imagine the beer dinners they could put together.

We were thrilled to see Rogue with one of the cheese tastings!

 

[webray]

It's in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Their website has a link to where you can find their beers. I can't post a link, but it's bellsbeer dot com. They are pretty easy to find all around the Great Lakes area, and along the I-75 corridor from Detroit to Miami.

If they don't ship to your state (and they may not, because their 'distribution network' is a bit back-asswards), check out the forums on ratebeer.com - there are plenty of beer freaks on there who will do "buy and swaps", where you buy a local microbrew and send it to them, and they will do the same for you.

It's very much worth the effort. If you like hoppy brews, it's a perfect fall beer. I've had a ton of them (Alpha King, 3 Floyd's, Dogfish Head, Rogue, etc etc) and Two Hearted is still my favorite beer.

Thank you, I will check it out. Usually when we go home we can find a lot of the Minnesota, Michigan microbrews. La Crosse does love its beer!

 

[webray]

No exactly a Food & Wine topic, but since most everyone here is a wine fan ... does anyone know if there is a link online to the California Grill's wine list ? I've never gone there before, but we've got reservations for this fall ... I'd like to check out their list before we get there to see what I might be up for that night.

So far, all I can find is the sketchy dinner menu on allearsnet , and that only lists a couple 'by the glass' wines.

We were just there a couple weeks ago and the wine list is extensive.
I don't know of any site that posts the wine lists, as keeping up with them would be hard.

 

[jcvalenti]

We were just there a couple weeks ago and the wine list is extensive.
I don't know of any site that posts the wine lists, as keeping up with them would be hard.

Do you recall if it was mostly the major California players, or might I get lucky enough to find some La Vieux Donjon Chataeuneuf de Pape, or a fine Petrolo Galatrona ?

 

[cdtommie]

I'm loving all the beer talk! I know that in the past there has been a beer booth during the Fest, but IIRC it was mostly mass-produced suds. Wouldn't it be great if they did a Microbrews booth?

I know I'd be back for seconds, thirds, fourths....

I'll have to track down some of the bottles previously posted as I haven't tried any of them yet. cdtommie -- any recommendations on a store in CT with a wide selection of unique/unusual/high-quality beers?

Brad

Brad, Mountainview in Naugatuck is considered the best in state. The owner Terry Boyd is a great guy and runs a few beer festivals a year (I really recommend the Waterbury festival coming up on Sept 13 - they even have a separate Belgian tent):

From their website:

Mountview Plaza Wines & Liquor has been owned and operated by Terry Boyd & Michael Steir since 1994. It is conveniently located next to Super Stop & Shop in the Mountview Plaza at 727 Rubber Avenue, Naugatuck, CT.

Known as "CT's Beer Capital", we are CT's number one ranked beer store on RateBeer.com and BeerAdvocate.com in terms of service and selection, with over 700 different beers available at any time. We specialize in specialty ales and hard to find beers. We have a large and growing clientele with home keg systems which we supply (150+ kegs to choose from) and support as needed.

 

[cdtommie]

See my post above. If you want to try Bells, you can pick it up in Florida on your next trip down to the mouse house .... if you're a beer fan, it's worth the effort to find it.

Jc, have you tried Troegs Nugget Nectar? It finally appeared in NY earlier this year...this is an amazing beer. Has lots of hops but still has a nice malt background to provide some balance.

Any recommendations on a store close to WDW for Bell's? We'll be there in October with another beercouple. We usually stop at ABC's on 535 but I didn't see it there.

 

[Figaro]

Its hard to know until you get there what works for you - but in my previous experiences there have always been places at some lower tables - I also like to "park" myself at a place and dh and I go in different directions - coming back to meet up at a place - I've just put a jacket (rain poncho last year) on the back of the seat, I think the last 2 years they have had more tables than party goers so seating has not been an issue (in the early Party's I remember reading reviews that the party was about moving and not parking at one table, so there was "panic" about finding a table - I think this may have changed - esp in the back section lots of empty tables!!)

The wine glasses are very tall - and the plates have a cut out that fits the wine glasses - I just went and measured, the glasses are app 4 in tall they hold a full 16 ounces of liquid, with a bit to spare - so the Party may only give you 1 - 2 ounces, and with a tall wine glass that holds 8 times that amount, you may find you can get around without spillage - but again, you will have to experience it - In this day and age of accommodation, I cant imagine it being a problem were you to bring a glass...

Thanks, Sandy! The information is very helpful so I can picture how the entire thing works. I've read a couple of reviews from people in ECV's and the issues that they had, so I am trying to figure out the best way so that my spouse and I can actually eat together. We have the same problem at buffets.

 

[Figaro]

Figaro, My DH uses a power wc, we didn't have any trouble getting one of the lower tables at the PFTS the past two years. My DH had a friend make him a wine glass holder for his wine & that worked well for him. I wanted him to get a tray for his chair but he wasn't having any of that. I did a little extra running for food because he could only hold one plate at a time. But it was worth it.

This year we're doing the City Taste, I am a little worried that because it's described as a walk-about they may not have tables. DH needs a table to be able to eat. He wasn't worried about it though, he said if they didn't have any out, he'd ask for one.

I like the way your husband has decided to handle this. I think a tray on my wheelchair and plastic glasses with tight lids should solve most of my problems. My spouse will just sit on the floor next to me if he can't find a chair.

So, if anyone else who is going to be at the Party for the Senses on October 18th sees a blonde woman in a black wheelchair with a shaved headed spouse "pushing," come on over and say Hi.

 

[TheDISneyFamily]

Well, now I know why the price for PFTS didn't increase this year... no Cirque performances. I just got an email back from Cirque's special event department manager and she confirmed that they were not participating this year. I know some of you could care less, but I'm disappointed. We are big Cirque fans and have seen almost every show. I wonder what will replace them and if there will even be any live music? I hope they come to an agreement in the next month and I'm pleasantly surprised that there will be PFTS Cirque performances by the time we go...

 

[jcvalenti]

Jc, have you tried Troegs Nugget Nectar? It finally appeared in NY earlier this year...this is an amazing beer. Has lots of hops but still has a nice malt background to provide some balance.

Any recommendations on a store close to WDW for Bell's? We'll be there in October with another beercouple. We usually stop at ABC's on 535 but I didn't see it there.

CD - I haven't tried Troegs. I'll look for it.

As for which store to try, I haven't ever looked for it down there, so I don't know ... but if you go to bellsbeer dot com, they have a link to where to find their beer. If you type in an address near where you will be in Orlando-area, it will tell you the closest location to find the beer at. Hope that helps, and good hunting.

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

Well, now I know why the price for PFTS didn't increase this year... no Cirque performances.

That's a bummer, but I'll be interested to see who the live entertainment is then.

 

[betterlatethannever]

Well, now I know why the price for PFTS didn't increase this year... no Cirque performances. I just got an email back from Cirque's special event department manager and she confirmed that they were not participating this year. I know some of you could care less, but I'm disappointed. We are big Cirque fans and have seen almost every show. I wonder what will replace them and if there will even be any live music? I hope they come to an agreement in the next month and I'm pleasantly surprised that there will be PFTS Cirque performances by the time we go...

No.!! I'm disappointed too. The lines were much shorter during the performances.

EizabethB, I totally agree with everything you said, but I still go because its my exercise for the year. I have scheduled a City Taste and PFTS back to back. (Probably too much exercise)

You actually do more walking if you claim a table and go back and forth. It is much easier to find a tall table to eat at (which is getting tougher and thougher each year because people claim thme too.)

Actually, I will never complain about how crowded it is at the "sold out" PFTS, after attending "TASTE" this year at the DLR F&WF. It was literally wall to wall people.

Ed